Smith Extra on arrival

Smith24

The Cardinal Suite at Blakes Hotel, London

The UK’s original boutique hotel (and where the real-life Mr and Mrs Smith spent the first night of their honeymoon), Blakes is a decadent, Orient-inspired oasis in the heart of South Kensington. Designed with exotic exuberance by Anouska Hempel, each room takes its interiors inspiration from a different land – a tour-by-decor of Turkey, Russia, India and more. Room 109, the Cardinal Suite, is the most shamelessly romantic: with heavy, textured fabrics, floral artwork and the kind of ornate, crimson-draped four-poster that makes you reach for the smelling salts, it’s an essay in decorative decadence.